20 June, 2013

Bubba's Hover on the Road

When Bubba’s Hover,
the viral video of Bubba Watson’s BW1
hovercraft golf cart manufactured by Neoteric, captured massive world attention
in April you may have thought it was just another passing fancy. Not so! The
attention lives on and the vehicle dubbed “the coolest thing to hit the golf
course” has now hit the road. Oakley, who commissioned the craft, has Bubba’s Hover on tour – not only
attracting attention but also contributing to the greater good.

This month
Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald traveled to Pennsylvania where Oakley
showcased the BW1 at a corporate
event for Dick’s Sporting Goods, the largest U.S.-based full-line sporting
goods retailer. The BW1 was the
highlight of the event for the 2,500 employees at Dick’s Store Support Center
in Coraopolis, outside Pittsburgh. Fitzgerald treated about 160 employees to
joyrides in the BW1; most of the joyriders' enthusiastic response was to tell Chris, “You've got the coolest
job in the world!”

From
Pennsylvania, Bubba’s Hover moved on to Ohio, where Oakley held a charity event
at two Cincinnati area golf courses - the Heritage Club in Mason and Four Bridges Country Club in Liberty Township. The event was designed to raise funds for OneSight, a Luxottica Group Foundation dedicated to
restoring and preserving clear vision for the hundreds of millions of adults
and children in need who can’t afford basic eye care. Oakley is a division of
Italy-based Luxottica.

At each course, Chris Fitzgerald gave the winner of a round of golf and the highest donor to OneSight, along with their guests, a joyride in Bubba's Hover.

The BW1 inspires photo opportunities wherever it appears. Model Kathryn Rose gets one of the first shots at Four Bridges Country Club, encouraging golfers to get involved in the charity event.

Golfers in traditional carts are awed by the hovercraft
golf cart's ability to soar right over water hazards. Photo courtesy Mr. Kenneth Babbert.

As an Internet celebrity, Bubba’s Hover definitely attracts major attention wherever it goes. The unique and captivating nature of a hovercraft golf cart makes it the perfect tool to boost participation in charity events, golf tournaments, country club and golf course grand openings – or just about any special event imaginable!

After wowing the crowds in Pennsylvania and Ohio, Bubba's Hover won't be languishing in a hangar any time soon. Right now the craft is at Neoteric's headquarters in Terre Haute, Indiana, undergoing some cleanup and standard maintenance, after which it will travel to Rhode Island to meet Bubba Watson at the 2013 CVS Caremark Charity Classic June 24-25 at the Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington.